The subject matter of this disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for the securing and custody management of property in dedicated and shared service environments such as locker rental services, temporary storage of delivered goods and packages, and checked items such as luggage and coats and valeted vehicles.
There is a prevalent and increasing need for services which provide for temporary securing of property. The carrying of personal property or property of a custodial responsibility, combined with activities which make it mandatory or desirable to temporarily divest oneself of such property, or transfer custodial responsibility of such property is both commonplace and increasing. For example, the need for access to available secure lockers is increasing as safety policies place increasing restrictions on what can be brought into facilities and event venues. Prospective attendees at event venues in possession of disallowed items are routinely blocked from entry and are turned away to hopefully make suitable arrangements for secure temporary storage, and lacking timely success, may have to forgo the event all together. This leads to the significant inconveniencing of venue patrons causing significant loss of good will between venue proprietors and their patrons, thereby impacting venue popularity and revenues. Furthermore, the carrying of items which are optimally placed into temporary safekeeping is commonplace and increasing as people increasingly carry valuable items such as computer notebooks, electronic tablets, business and personal documents and effects throughout a busy day wherein they may visit facilities which increasingly restrict entry with one or more carried items, or the carrying individual simply wants to temporarily unburden themselves, such as at a facility, bar, restaurant or other such location, and not have to be concerned with maintaining vigilant watch against theft, damage or loss.
Traveling readily amplifies the need or desire for temporary safekeeping of carried items, other business related or personal items, or items with which they may have a custodial responsibility. Preferably such persons are able to locate temporary secure storage or other safekeeping services, such as secure rental lockers or some form of trustworthy checked storage services, such as hotel bag-check services, as they pursue their travel itinerary and activities. Of a similar nature to bag-check services are coat-check services. Also of similar nature are valet services, where control of a vehicle is temporarily transferred by transferring the keys for the vehicle to a valet attendant.
Another example of commonplace and increasing need for the temporary securing of property is that related to package delivery services, wherein a delivery service has custodial responsibility for property upon their taking possession thereof from a shipping entity until such time that it is acknowledged as received by a proper recipient. According to a Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index Report, the growth of e-commerce across all business segments in 13 global markets resulted in the dramatic increase in parcel shipment volume of 48 percent over two years, where reported parcel volume of 44 billion parcels in 2014 grew to 65 billion in 2016. This dramatic increase in package delivery has led to a dramatic increase in theft of packages. According to an article published by USA Today, “Were your Amazon packages stolen? Porch pirates run rampant this holiday season”, Dec. 13, 2018, 30 percent of Americans say they've experienced such theft themselves and the Denver Police Department, which tracks package theft, has seen incidents rise every year since 2015. Additionally, with this increasing trend in package delivery, persons traveling are commonly and increasingly in situations where they preferably can receive and access delivered items at locations away from home. For example, someone may wish to ideally have a package delivery redirected and conveniently accessible, such as in a temporary secure storage locker, while traveling en route.